According to Die Volksblad, Jacques Cronje is the second strongest behind the Cheetahs’ loosehead, while wing Bryan Habana is the fastest.

“CJ performed the bench presses with the greatest of ease and I’m convinced that soon he’s going to improve even more,” Bok conditioning coach Derick Coetzee told the newspaper. “Jacques’ conditioning has improved by leaps and bounds. He bench pressed 170kg in testing, about 10kg heavier than last year.”

Habana was the fastest player in testing, according to Coetzee.

“He ran the 10m in speed tests in 1.58 seconds, showing a marked improvement,” said Coetzee. “The good time is an indication of his explosive power and on top of that he improved his time in the so-called off-season.”